STUCKMATE

What is Stuckmate?

Stuckmate is made of high resistance wire enclosed in a specifically designed housing that integrates perfectly with the Off-Road bike. Stuckmate combines the advantages of a short strap placed on the front of the bike and of a very effective long strap to get out of the biggest challenges, available quickly and permanently.

In normal operation with external assistance: the rider unlocks the cable and gives the handle to someone that can help him, gets back to his bike and locks the system. The cable transfers up to 3000N (300 kilos) pulling force to the bike. It cannot go outside, only inside. Each time the rider moves higher the cable goes inside itself.

New feature:use solo: Stuckmate allows the isolated user to get out of difficulties he could not have managed by himself. The automatic winding of the cable system acts as a ratchet pawl that stores each progression. The rider is stuck and alone: he unrolls the cable and hangs it at a fixed point. At each progress the cable stretches itself. He can resume his support and take a breath: Stuckmate holds the bike.

New feature: pre-belay. Stuckmate allows the user to be “pre-belayed” for the biggest challenges. When preparing to clear an obstacle, he gives the handle to someone or hangs it at a fixed point. The cable stretches all the time. If he fails he’s immediately retained to avoid falling.

Why Stuckmate?

Off-road riders regularly need to un-stuck their bikes or get help to overcome obstacles. So far there are straps to put in place on the front of the Off-road bikes, they are proposed as an accessory or “homebrewed” by the pilots themselves. They do that out of small difficulties, unless assisted by several persons, which is rarely possible and significantly less effective. The most efficient system and/or out of the biggest challenges is a long strap or rope. In most cases this long strap must be carried by the rider himself, taken out of storage, implemented, row (often dirty)… This is causing a loss of time, particularly detrimental in competition. In riding solo or if one find himself isolated, the long strap is of no help.

Stuckmate has also been validated in real (and extreme!) conditions during the 2015 RedBullRomaniacs with the French rider Guillaume Bourrand :

Stuckmate is TOP! It doesn’t bother the driving, weights “nothing”. It saved me at least twice during the race, in situations I could not have managed alone: riders don’t help each over when it comes to the top ten… once I fell into a hole beside the trail: I hanged the handle to a rock and threw the bike on top. When you tried it you know you can rely on it: you keep it on your bike at all times